


Depth of Life

by thegrrrl2002



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Community: h50_flashfic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-22
Updated: 2011-11-22
Packaged: 2017-10-26 10:52:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegrrrl2002/pseuds/thegrrrl2002
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's going to be sand in the bed tonight, Steve's sure of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Depth of Life

The back door creaks open and then slams shut again, startling Steve. A high pitched giggle, scampering feet and Steve shakes his head as he stacks the lunch dishes in the sink. He catches a glimpse of the dog running past the doorway, bright orange chew toy in its mouth. A second later Danny runs past, and Steve grins--he had been sure it was Gracie laughing like that. Sometimes, Danny is just too ridiculous. Especially with that dog.

He runs the water over the dishes and pours some soap over them. He considers washing them now, but decides instead to leave them for Danny. There's more scrambling, along with jingling tags and the dog bursts into the kitchen, skidding to a halt at Steve's feet.

"No," Steve says firmly. "You've already gotten enough treats, mister."

The dog whines softly and drops the toy on the floor. He sits, wagging his tail politely, eyes never leaving Steve.

"I said 'no'." Steve sighs. "Look at you, you're a mess."

The dog's stomach and legs are wet, there's sand stuck to his feet and seaweed trailing from a back paw. Steve is going to have a talk with Danny. A very serious talk. As soon as Danny's done washing the dishes.

"There you are, you mutt, you." Danny grins as he trots into the kitchen, breathless from running. His cheeks are pink and his usually precise hair is ruffled from the sea breeze.

"You talking to me or the dog?" Steve asks, then catches sight of Danny's bare feet and wet pants. And of course, more sand. Sand everywhere. "Speaking of messes, Danny--"

"What?" Danny asks, a little too innocently.

"What did I tell you about the sand?"

"Beauregard!" Gracie shouts as she runs into the room, leaning down to hug the dog without hesitation. The dog twists around and licks Gracie's cheek, making her giggle in delight. "Good doggy." She kisses the top of his big, chunky head.

Her pink polka-dot shorts are soaking wet, along with her pink tee-shirt and she's so encrusted with sand that it looks like she had been rolled in it, much like a sugar-encrusted malasada.

"Gracie," Steve says gently, "Please--"

The dog shakes himself, spraying sand and water everywhere and Gracie giggles even harder. "Oh no, Beauregard," she scolds happily, scrunching up her face as the sand hits her.

"Would you please, the beach belongs outside and we don't need one in the house," Steve says, hearing his mother's voice echoing in his head as he speaks.

He smiles at the memory--she used to say the same thing to him and Mary. He'd almost forgotten how many times the two of them were caught in the kitchen, starving and looking for food after hours of playing on the beach. They'd be soaking wet and covered with sand while his mother scolded them gently, making them promise to sweep the floor as soon as they got cleaned up. The fun he and Mary used to have when they were little, all the trouble they used to get into--it feels like a hundred years ago but he remembers it fondly.

Not that Danny and Grace look contrite. They look anything but.

"We were playing tug, Uncle Steve," Grace says, as if that should explain everything.

"Beau likes the water," Danny adds, ruffling the dog's fur and scattering more sand onto Steve's bare feet. "Doesn't he? Doesn't he? Oh yes, yes he does."

"He likes the beach too. Beau was digging in the sand--I think he's looking for buried treasure," Gracie says.

"Digging?" Steve asks in dismay. He suspects there are holes all over his beach now.

Beau grins up at him, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Then picks up the toy and wags his tail at Steve.

"If he finds buried treasure on your beach, does it technically belong to you?" Danny asks. "Because I'm thinking finders keepers, you know? I'm pretty sure that's the rule of law."

"It would be Beau's treasure," Gracie assures Danny. "He gets to keep it. Right, Uncle Steve?"

"Okay," Steve says. "Number one, there's no treasure on the beach, I'm sorry to say. And two--" he picks up a crust of bread left over from the sandwiches and offers it to Beau. Beau promptly drops the toy in order to gently take the treat from Steve's hand.

"My toy now," Steve announces as he snatches the toy from the floor.

Beau leaps up to grab it, but Steve holds it up out of reach and races out of the kitchen, Beau following closely at his heels. Danny and Grace follow, peals of laughter ringing out. Steve dashes out the back door, toy tucked under his arm--he knew all that football playing would come in handy someday--and heads toward the beach, running across the sand. Beau is barking now, making Steve laugh and yeah, there's going to be sand all over all the place, piles of it are going to wind up in his Marquis after they drop Beau and Grace off this evening and there's going to be sand in the bed tonight, Steve is sure of it. He's also sure that Danny will bitch and moan about it and Steve is looking forward to kissing him quiet, and then maybe kissing him noisy again.

And as Steve turns and throws a pass to to Grace, the toy sailing effortlessly over Danny's head as Beau runs in circles around the three of them, Steve knows it's a small price to pay. Because there actually is treasure on his beach, after all.


End file.
